Left Of The Middle
by Madcap Lilies
Summary: Alec might be a poser, and Hy might be arrogant, and Cecy might be uptight, but in the end, they're friends... and maybe more. OC story. Co-written by Madcap.Lilies and SisterGrimm2. T for language. Read and review. PJO is not ours.


_**Left of the Middle**_

**Chapter One:**

_**Away Without Leave From a Really Bad Boy Band**_

**By Sister Grimm Erin and Madcap Lilies**

Hy (Henry) Drake, son of Echo, was about to kill _both_ of his best friends, and not just the one.

"You said we were going to New York for Chinese food and a Broadway show, Ces," Hy said. "Why the hell are we at one of _his_ concerts?" The boy crossed his arms angrily against the leather seats.

"You could say his name," said Cecilia. "I'm the one who broke up with him, you know. It's not fair that you're the one eating all the frozen yogurt. Dad complained about that, by the way."

"Your dad is a hippie musician who can't stand the idea of real ice cream," mumbled Hy.

"You could have stayed with Alec's parents," Cecy pointed out. "Or camp. No one asked you to put your feet up in the guest room."

"Aw, baby," Hy said, putting a hand over his heart. "I thought you wanted me."

Cecy batted her eyelashes. "Two years and you've still not been able to find another woman." She let her mock flirting drop and smirked pointedly.

"Hey! Just because I sleep around..."

"Oh, please," snorted Cecy. "You're a _wannabe_ man-whore. Let's face it- sluts are so last year. Try being a recycled virgin?"

"Not a chance," Hy said, crossing his arms. "And there have been... girls. Many girls. So many girls you can't begin to count them."

"There was Katie the next summer, maybe two last year, and one this year. That's four, all one-night-stands," she told him. "And none of them were lookers. You should try going for an actual relationship- you'd really _get_ some."

"Relationships are for quitters," mumbled Hy.

"Remind me why I put up with your shit again?" Cecy asked, looking towards the sky.

"Because I have my moments?" suggested Hy. "Aw, damn," he swore. "Those are _fangirls_."

"Wait 'til they're legal," advised Cecy coolly.

Before Hy could sputter a protest, she calmly walked out of the car. Reminded why he was here, Hy contemplated getting up.

Okay, so he missed Alec. _Bastard_. But he wasn't going to be the first to apologize. _Bastard's going to come crawling to _me.

His hand inched toward the seatbelt lock as his best friend walked offstage.

"Look, dude, you going or not?" asked the taxi driver in a thick Brooklyn drawl. "Just an observation, but she seemed pretty smart."

Hy sighed, tossed the driver a twenty, and got sprayed by the water residue on the curb.

**X X X X X**

The heavy, somber atmosphere that accompanied the concerts the daughter of Phobos frequented with her stepfather was gone. It had been replaced with a horde of screaming, virginal fangirls. The steady beat of the drum had quieted in favor of excessive synthing. And, perhaps most importantly, the hoarse voice of the man she thought of as her father had morphed into the strong hum of some lyrics the singer had probably- make that _definitely-_ made up a few hours before the deadline. As the last notes of "Tremors" died down, _Frenzy!_ was met by thunderous applause.

The boy band's lead singer was backstage in an instant. Her shoulders relaxed despite of herself, the presence familiar. "Ces," he said, seemingly unsurprised. "You look good." _She's wearing black. She always does that when she wants something from me, damn it._

Alec Crandall, thought Cecy cynically, didn't look much of anything but dark-haired, good-looking, and annoying. A smirk hovered at the corners of his mouth, his expression perenially condescending.

"Alec, I just came to tell you to be careful. I saw an empousai-,"

"You're worried, that's cute," said Alec, smirking fully now. "I'll be fine. Some of us come prepared."

Cecy flushed but stood her ground. "Chiron's been talking about the after-effects of the Great Stirring. He doesn't think going on tour is a great idea."

"So. I'm going to give up my lifelong dream because the old pony is paranoid?" snorted Alec. The lighting behind the curtain revealed just how much makeup he'd put on to avoid the stage light effect.

"If your lifelong dream is to hang backstage AWOL from a really bad boy band, yes." Cecy snapped.

"No, my lifelong dream is to beat Hy at something. Singing is _my _thing! The thing I'm better at than Hy." Alec's pretty face was set in a stubborn expression, one that could rival Cecy's on an off day.

"Then sing! Don't be such a brat to your friends while touring with a bunch of mortals who don't even like you. For the record? They lip-synch."

"_Sure _this isn't about our break-up?" Alec said, quirking an eyebrow. Cecy sighed. Everything had been going mostly fine, and he just had to bring _that_ up.

"Positive," affirmed Cecy. "Hy misses you. He's been moping around our house. I miss arguing with you. Your parents miss you. Call of the cross-country thing. Do mall tours."

"He broke my elbow!" whined Alec, brushing uncomfortably long bangs out of his face.

"You provoked him," Cecy deadpanned, long past sympathy. "Nothing a little nectar didn't fix."

"You always side with him!" Alec snapped.

"I'm neutral in your wars, and you know it. Whatever I do to one of you, I do to both."

Alec blew out a breath, unable to deny _that,_ at least.

Cecy pressed her advantage. "Look, I've been more than patient with the both of you. But seriously, this fight is way old. I'd make Hy apologize, but I'm madder at you." Cecy crossed her arms. "I know who your father is, but… seriously. Can _one _of you get your head out of your ass for ten consecutive seconds?" She uncrossed her arms. _Both _of them needed a good slap across the face.

Alec opened his mouth for a retort, but then a distraction appeared.

Cecy massaged her temples. It was a groupie.

Said groupie's honey-brown hair had been teased in a style touted on the cover of _Seventeen_ magazine last month. Cecy rather thought it looked like a mouse had died on her head. The blonde in question had dressed specifically to get Alec's attention, but even so, she came off as classy and understated rather than forthrightly revealing.

The groupie was _very _revealing, and thus gained Alec's attention for the time-being.

_God, I _dated_ this guy_?

Truthfully, her connections went farther than mere ex-territory with Alec. She'd been friends with him and Hy since before they could walk. The three had always been together, and they'd always needed her. They still did, regardless of what they thought. And they still were.

Cecy was so distracted by her nostalgia that she didn't notice the fangirl's leg until it was too late.

"Alec. Run!"

"Your concern is flatter-," Alec was cut off by claws gripping his neck. Cecy fumbled blankly around for her pocketknife, which would be no good in a real fight. She was much relieved by the next turn of events.

There was a flash of steel and the _emposai _vanished in a puff of gold smoke. Hy wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead and smiled in satisfaction.

"Look who came crawling back," snapped Alec, examining the foreside of his neck.

"Be nice," growled Cecy.

Hy's shoulders tensed. "Look who flirts with monsters now. Says something about your taste, no?"

Cecy overrode Alec's retort. "God, you boys are such _children_."

"What does that make you, a child molester?" snapped Alec, rubbing his sore neck tendon.

"Clearly, neither one of you can handle me," she retorted. "I'm just too much woman for either of you put together."

"Hey, what did _I_ do?" said Hy blankly.

"You stole my Blink-182 CD," said Cecy.

"Now I remember why we broke up," said Hy, rolling his eyes. He reattached his sword to his belt. "You're uptight as hell."

"At least I'm not a doormat!" she fired back, tiny fists clenched at her sides.

"You guys are like an old married couple," observed Alec coolly from the side. The concert was clearing out- from backstage, one could clearly make out the squeals of teenage girls and the relieved noises of their overburdened drivers.

"Look who's talking!" fired back Cecy.

As he watched his two best friends bicker, the son of Zelos realized something.

That they were, in fact, his two best and only real friends.

Alec held up a hand. "You know what? This is stupid."

Cecy blinked. _Is Alec about to... apologize_?

"Look, you guys are my friends. I'm sick of not being around you, so I'm going to buy your loyalty back with money. Let's go out for pizza."

Cecy's reaction was complete and utter shock. After months of silence, Alec just wanted them to go out for... _pizza_?

Hy clapped his friend on the shoulder. "How about breakfast at a 24-hour diner instead?"

Alec brightened. "Good idea."

For her part, Cecy had no better plan than to go with her friends.

**Note: This came from a discussion about whether or not the Gods donate sperm (it didn't sound quite so weird at the time). "Those poor lesbian couples!" "Poor Elton John!" And so Cecy was conceived as the daughter of an Elton John type singer. Eventually, we decided three dads is a bit much, but Cecy remained.**

**Clarifications:**

**- Alec's dad is Zelos, god of rivalry and contest. Hence the competitive streak.**

**- Hy's mom is Echo, yes… we have a !verse on how that's possible.**

**- Frenzy! is Alec's band. Think Jonas Brother fame with Metro Station-like music. No offense to Jonas Brother or Metro Station fans.**


End file.
